If You Don't Worry
by Envy5
Summary: Edward's job keeps him on the road. Bella deals with it, but she gets lonely while he's gone. Guys get lonely too and Edward lets his imagination run away with him. Can she convince him that they will be alright if he doesn't worry? Jukebox Contest Entry.


**The Jukebox contest**

**PenName:** Envy5

**Title:** If You Don't Worry…

**Song choice:** _You Got Me_ by The Roots featuring Erykah Badu

**Rating:** M

**Word Count:** 7,861

**Pairing:** Edward/Bella

**Summary:** Edward's job keeps him on the road and Bella deals with it, but she gets lonely while he's gone. Guys get lonely too and Edward lets his imagination run away with him. How can she convince him that they will be alright if he doesn't worry?

**Disclaimer:** I'm not SM, but I love what she's created. These characters belong to her. I also love The Roots, Erykah Badu and Eve. I love the song, the collaboration and the lyrics. Those all belong to them.

"_If you were worried 'bout where_

_I been or who I saw or_

_What club I went to with my homies,_

_Baby, don't worry. You know that you got me…"_

_-_As sung by Erykah Badu

**EPOV**

It's so funny how the simplest things can fall apart. How easily the best of intentions can shatter. I can still hear her voice calling to me, raspy and deep from our hours of love making. She whispered softly, warm and sultry words in my ear during the heat and precisely at the height of our passion_. _It was always intense and sweet like this when I first came home from the road.

"Baby, don't worry. You know that you got me,"she said.

A chill ran down my spine each and every time she spoke to me in that sexy, but comforting way of hers. She was like a blanket. No, she was like one of those old, homey quilts that were always so warm and toasty and welcoming. Only she had on black lace and silk wrapped around her perfect body under that quilt. Best thing ever. She always knew just what to say and when I needed to hear it. And she only ever spoke to _me_ in that way. No one else would have the pleasure of seeing that side of her. _Atleast I hoped not._

I knew that I loved Bella from the moment that I had laid eyes on her. No, wait, that's not true. That was a cliché and that's not what this is about.

I hadn't even acknowledged Bella's existence before I ever stopped and took notice of those dark, chocolate brown eyes of hers. Those same deep, iridescent pools of color had reflected with perfect clarity every ounce of shock, every bit of hurt and every burn of the betrayal that she felt at my words. I instinctively clinched my eyes tightly to drown out the memory while I threw back the rest of the vodka in my glass. I had fucked up beyond repair and I had no idea of how in the world I could ever make this right. I had lost her.

"Shit," I yelled as I threw the now empty glass, causing it to shatter against the cream colored wall on the other side of the living room.

Bella's right hand man, Thundercat, was sitting across the room, looking at me from his perch on the kitchen counter, tilting his head as he tried to analyze my little tantrum. He must have gotten bored as he promptly began to lick his paw.

_That's right, she had gotten a damn cat from the rescue shelter and she named him Thundercat. _

Her argument was that she got the idea for a pet while I was gone that first week after she had moved in. Her face was as bright and as excited as I had ever seen it when she described the moment they met, how he reached his paw out to her through the little bars of his cage. She called it love at first sight and that made him a keeper. I thought that made him a con artist, but she thought otherwise. She said she liked having somebody around when she got really lonely…

As much as I didn't want him ripping up my furniture and peeing on shit, how could I argue with that logic? That was good news for me, though, because that meant she would have to come back here at some point.

"Shit," I said again, just more calmly this time as I pinched the bridge of my nose and stepped out onto the balcony, looking out onto the city life that was going on without me for once.

**BPOV**

"Aww, sweetie, you know men are just assholes sometime. They don't know what they're saying half the time. You know they don't mean most of it." Alice said as she held my hand across the table and stirred her tea with her other hand.

Alice had met Rosie and me at a breakfast spot downtown. Rose and Emmett had graciously allowed me to crash on their couch the night before. Edward had only been home a short time before we started arguing about all sorts of crazy shit.

"Have you talked to him at all today?" Rosie asked as she sipped her coffee.

"No." I said flatly. "I don't plan to. I don't know what to say to him."

The sad truth of the matter was that I didn't. I had no idea what to say to the man that I was yelling at last night because that prick wasn't my Edward. My Edward knew me better than that. My Edward trusted me beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I can't even begin to count the arguments we've had, centered on him and his job, but never like this.

There have been times where he had to leave to get on a plane at the height of the night. I mean, literally in the middle of the night. I had even slipped up once and risked looking both desperate and needy by just flat out asking, "Another lonely night? Seems like I'm on the side and you're really loving this life."

I had always put my best foot forward to show my support and my pride in him living out his dream and doing something that he loved, but we were bound to disagree on certain points. That's when we had to believe in each other the most. That's when we had to do our best to reassure each other.

We had made it through all of my doubts and my insecurities, so far, in one piece. My moments of weakness and being lonely had just been hiccups in the road, merely blips on the radar. But now, after almost a year and a half, I'm the one that's coming into question? I'm the one that hasn't remained true to him? Give me a fucking break!

As pissed off and as hurt as I felt, nothing compared to the ache in my chest at the very thought of what this reality was. The idea that he could just throw what we had away like that made me ill, that he could toss what I thought we were constantly building into the garbage absolutely blew my mind.

But, no matter how I tried to phrase it, the fact still remained. Somewhere while he was out on that road, I had lost him.

"Don't worry about it. He'll smarten up, sooner than you think." Rosie whispered deviously as she looked between me and Alice from under her not so innocent eyelashes.

"Oh no! Rosalie Lillian Hale Cullen, please tell me you did not do what I think you did!" Alice squealed.

"Now, now, ladies, don't you worry your pretty little heads about anything else today," she said as she stood up from the table and tossed some bills toward the center. "You get the very best service when you've got a professional on the job. Now, what do you say to pedicures?"

**EPOV**

I must have fallen asleep on the couch last night because I awoke from my restless sleep as Thundercat was pulling his claws out of my chest.

_Damn cat._

I sat up and rubbed the spot as he landed with a thud on the floor. By the look of his stretch and yawn, one of us was able to get a good night's rest.

I stood and looked around, gaining my bearings, as the sunlight came brightly through the blinds. All was quiet in the condo. Bella hadn't come home last night.

I missed her so much already from being gone and I hadn't even really had the chance to tell her that before I let my own insecurities ruin what had been a great evening up to that point.

'Baby, don't worry. You know that you got me.' She had said that as she dragged her nails up my back and nipped at my earlobe. She knew how much I loved that shit.

She was wrapped around me in the most delicious way, straddling me as we sat out on the balcony, way too high up for curious eyes or ears to see us or hear us. We were sweaty and panting against each other, unable to get enough as we reconnected from my lengthy trip.

As torn up as I was over how our night had ended, I couldn't help but smile at the memory. I had been on the road for two weeks straight this time and it had been torture for both of us.

Managing a band that was as popular as The Clarity was had become more than simply a full time job. No, I wasn't a performer, but as their manager, my responsibilities had become much more important as their fame grew.

As tough as it was to be away from her, I knew that she understood and that she loved me. Knowing that I would be able to come home and show her how much I missed her in return was what got me through.

Her natural beauty, her sharp wit and her endless intellect were just a small part of the reason I had fallen in love with this woman, this phenomenal person that had welcomed me into her life even though I didn't deserve it. She accepted all of my bullshit and all of my baggage without a second thought. The more that I got to know her, the greater I appreciated the fact that I had truly found my diamond in the rough.

Living this life was tough, especially when it came to people. Most people weren't built for it. There were scumbag promoters and club owners always trying to make a quick buck and the groupies…I won't even start on the groupies. Now, I'll admit, I'd be a big, fat liar if I said I hadn't had my share of _interactions _with said females in the past, but all of that just sort of came along with the program. Bella had changed me. I no longer needed those fleeting comforts. I had her.

What were her words that night so many months ago? Oh yeah. She had looked me square in the face, which was no easy feat considering how small her frame was compared to my six feet and two inches and said, "That shit don't matter." I knew then that she was the one for me. I remember that first night like it was last night. _Hell, I wish it was._

Every year, there is a huge charity concert thrown at the Venue. The Venue is an amphitheater here in the city and it's a great place for local talent to come out and open for the larger acts, do some good for the community and also get noticed in the process. I was able to pull some strings and was able to get the Clarity booked on the program.

I noticed her way before she ever noticed me. It was just before dusk. The sun hadn't quite set and the moon hadn't quite risen. My mom always referred to that time of the day as twilight. The setting was beautiful and the first band was just getting ready to take the stage when I noticed this gorgeous creature, snapping away furiously with a camera.

I stood for a minute, shoving my hands into the back pockets of my jeans and leaning against a wall and just took in her form as she moved. She was delicate but curvaceous in all the right places. Her long, dark brown hair flowed past her shoulders in loose curls. She had on a navy blue sweater; dark washed jeans that made her ass look stupendous and brown leather knee boots. Her press pass dangled around her neck and blew around her in the light breeze. I had never seen anything like her.

Once the music started and the crowd got into the show, I started towards her, not really sure of what I would say, but I knew I had to say something, anything. My timing couldn't have been better as I made my approach because she had stopped moving and appeared to be looking over the photos she had taken with great concentration.

"You're sure working hard over here." Lame, I know, but it was the best thing I could come up with at the time.

She hadn't even noticed that I had approached her.

"I'm sorry; did you say something to me?" She asked, barely glancing up.

"Yeah, there's an incredible concert going on around you and you look like you're working extremely hard for the money." I said, hoping to get a smile or something out of her.

She didn't disappoint. We introduced ourselves and she explained how she was a freelance photographer working the event for the charity. I explained how I was the manager for one of the up and coming acts.

Since I was working, too, I knew that our time would be short, but I didn't want it to end just yet. I asked her if she wanted to go out for a bite to eat or for a drink after the show. She told me no.

I had to do a little more leg work than I was used to when it came to getting to know Bella, but I was finally able to secure that drink a few weeks later. Fair enough, it was just coffee, but I was willing to take whatever she was willing to give.

That first afternoon, we talked and talked for hours about any and everything under the sun. I can't remember ever spending time just talking to a woman. I found that I was interested in listening and she was interested in sharing. The strange part of that was that I felt the exact same way.

Somebody told me that this planet was small.

We used to live in the same building, on the same floor, but never met before. I knew that I traveled a lot, but damn. It wasn't like me to have missed somebody like her in my immediate vicinity. And that was the thing, there was nobody like her.

Once we had gone out a few times and started spending more and more time together, I realized then that I had met my match. She had absolutely been made for me. She had become my very best friend, even though I know Emmett would be pissed as hell to hear me say that, no matter how much he loved Rosalie. Bella was not perfect and she was absolutely no angel, but that realness is what made my love for her grow stronger. She was **my** angel.

She had no tolerance for anything artificial, least of all people, and she made sure to keep her inner circle tightly knit with only those that she knew were trustworthy and able to appreciate the selflessness that it took to truly open up and care for others. I didn't really know how to do that until I met her.

We were building something special and she was, without a doubt, in my world. If I was honest, she was my world. And I had lost her.

A loud knock on the door interrupted my inner ramblings. I opened the door to find a fuming Emmett and smirking Jasper.

"Alright," Emmett said. "I want to hear it from your mouth. What the fuck did you do?"

**BPOV**

"I swear to you both. When he stepped off of that stage, he took a piece of my heart with him." I giggled as the bubbles from the champagne I sipped tickled the tip of my nose.

We had been at the spa for the last two hours getting plucked and waxed and wrapped and all of the other wonderful things they did here. I usually didn't indulge myself like this on a regular basis, but today, Rosalie and Alice had made it their mission to keep my mind off of the situation that I was going to have to face eventually with their brother and brother in law respectively. And let me be the first to say that they were doing a bang up job.

We were soaking our feet as we relaxed and laughed and talked about happier times and I found myself telling them about the first time I had met Edward.

I had tried my best to play it cool, like I hadn't noticed him at all moving around on the stage of the amphitheatre that evening. The weather was cool, so I had worn a sweater, but I soon had to regret that decision once I got a good look at him. Suddenly, it had become very warm and humid out. I was sweltering.

I could only hope that my camera would keep him from seeing the expression on my face if he had ever decided to look in my direction. That man was a walking dream straight out of my wildest Playgirl type fantasies. But there was no way in hell I could let him know that.

I tried to focus on my task, getting the best photos that I could to help promote the event that the charity wanted to turn into an annual affair, but I found myself following his every move out of my periphery.

So imagine the panic that welled up inside of me when I realized that he had stepped off of the stage and was walking in my direction. I knew that my face was flushed and that my tendency to blush had me looking like a strawberry, but I did what I could to look unimpressed and disinterested. That lasted all of five seconds, maybe.

Once I took a look into those jade colored eyes and that gorgeous smile, I was a lost cause.

He asked me out and I said no. I figured that his type was hard pressed to waste time actually getting to know someone outside of the physical and I just don't have the time for that sort of heart fail.

Somehow, he got my phone number and asked me out again a couple weeks later and I agreed to meet him at a coffee shop not far from my place if for no other reason than to congratulate him for his persistence. The rest, you could say, was history.

The more he talked, the more I wanted to know. The more time that we spent together, the more I realized that there was more of my time and much more of my heart that I wanted to give to him. He had such a kind heart and loving soul under that gruff, incredibly sexy exterior. As I learned more and more about Edward Cullen, I knew I was a complete goner. There was just so much more to him than what your eyes captured. I found that my love and appreciation for him grew more and more each day, even when he was gone.

I sat back in my massage chair and took in a deep breath when I realized how much I had actually said to the girls. I was rambling. I wasn't sure if I was raining on their parade or defeating the purpose of this day that we were spending together, but it felt so good to just let some of my thoughts out.

I really and truly didn't want to lose him, but did I truly have him if he didn't trust me? I felt betrayed because hadn't I always told him that I was his.

'_Baby, don't worry. You know that you got me.'_

I sat and mulled over my thoughts for a little bit.

"Bella, you know that I absolutely love you," Alice said as she pressed some cucumber slices more securely onto her eyelids. "And as much as the thought of all that makes me want to puke since you're talking about my brother, I really have to believe that you guys will get through this. You two are meant to be. He'd be an idiot not to see that."

"She's right, you know," Rose added softly. "I've never once seen my brother in law the way he is with you. It will work out."

I smiled shyly at the thought.

"God, I hope so."

We sat for a little while longer in comfortable silence. I was so grateful that I was able to find the friendships that I had with both Alice and Rosalie. They were like the sisters I never had, supportive and silly, but always loving and protective.

"What do you guys think about a night out tonight?" I asked tentatively.

A part of me didn't want my time to end with the girls, but if I was being honest, there was a bigger part of me that was afraid of the inevitable and I wanted to postpone it as long as I possibly could. I could only hope they were up for it.

I looked over at Alice and she was already vibrating in her chair with excitement.

Rosalie just looked at me with a smile as wide and as bright as the Cheshire Cat himself.

"Girl, it's almost as if you can read my mind."

**EPOV**

Jasper was officially on my last nerve.

"You are so full of shit, man." He laughed. "You know good and damn well that Bella doesn't have a dishonest bone in her body. Why would you think she was cheating on you?"

"Even if she wanted to lie to you, she can't lie for shit. Her face gives her away every time she tries," Emmett added.

I knew they were right. I knew that when I sat in that bar at the airport listening to Mike and Tyler try to convince me that Jacob Black, one of the major players in the club scene back home, was making a successful move for my girl.

I knew that when I came home last night. I knew that when I opened my big mouth, like the jerk that I am, and accused her of messing around with him anyway.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," I said, running a hand through my already unruly hair.

Emmett tossed a beer to me as he grabbed himself one out of my fridge before he plopped down on the couch beside me with a sigh.

"You can be a dumb motherfucker sometimes, that's what's wrong with you," he said simply, holding back a chuckle in vain.

I had always loved that about my little brother. He gave it to you straight.

I had sat in relative silence while my brother and brother in law chewed my ass out like bubble gum for the better part of the afternoon. In between all of the chewing and the beat downs, they were both able to give some interesting perspective on this relationship thing. I'm not even sure they had really meant to, but they did.

Being married to my sister Alice had given Jasper some insight on how to handle difficult situations before they got out of hand and Emmett's marriage to Rosalie had made him an expert in damage control. He his hands full with Rosalie that much was clear.

But I had really tried to argue at first. My stubbornness and my pride didn't want to admit that I had been dead wrong for even doubting her to begin with. Truth be told, it was my fear of losing her that had even allowed me to entertain the idea, but I couldn't tell them that.

"Come on now, Edward." Jasper said as he clapped me hard on the shoulder. "The first step in recovery is admitting that you're a pussy."

"Fuck you," I said as I slapped his hand away and stood up. This was going to be difficult, far more than any other part of this day so far.

"Look, I've never been one to willingly ask for help…"

I glanced over at Emmett who was trying his best to not laugh in my face. He was doing a piss poor job at best.

I rubbed the back of my neck out of nervous habit, but I continued.

"I've never been one to admit that I'm wrong without a good, lengthy fight…"

Jasper leaned against my breakfast nook looking smugger than I'd ever seen him look. I could've sworn Thundercat sidled up next to him, crossing his paws over his chest.

But I soldiered on. There was no fighting fate.

"Listen, I need you guys to help me. How do I get Bella back?"

"Score! Score! Score!," Emmett shouted as he ran over and bumped fists with Jasper.

Idiots…

**BPOV**

"Alice, do you think you have anything any shorter in there? No, wait, give me something tighter instead," I asked, hoping she could see how utterly annoyed I was with her choice in dresses.

"Chill out, Bella," she said as she came around the corner, the sound of her heels clicking against the hardwood floor announcing her arrival.

"Do you want to look hot tonight or do you want to look like a school teacher?"

Alice and I had gone to her and Jaspers' house to get ready while Rose went home to get changed. Alice had let me borrow a dress and volunteered to do my make up since I wasn't quite ready to go back to the condo yet. I looked in the mirror, turning around every now and then to try and catch an angle where my skirt didn't look like a video vixen outfit. I knew I was being dramatic, but I wanted to be comfortable if I was going to drink my weight in tequila tonight.

I hadn't heard a word from Edward all day.

Not a phone call. Not a text. Not an e-mail. No twitter feeds. No Facebook status updates.

This could be a sign, or maybe it was nothing at all.

Maybe he truly believed that I had been unfaithful to him. Or maybe he felt like I did and just didn't know what to say. Maybe he was somewhere listening to people telling him that I'm trying to play him for a fool, letting the liquor take its toll and letting more lies and drama in. Maybe he just needs space and time to think, time to think about us.

Only time would tell, I suppose.

'_Baby, don't worry. You know that you got me.'_

I stopped turning for a minute and just let that soak in, like it hadn't been on a loop in my brain all day.

I felt a physical pain at the thought and the implications of that simple phrase.

Pain because the truth found deep within them hurt worse than anything I had ever felt before. Pain because that was the opposite of the joy in my heart when I had initially said them. Pain because I wasn't sure if they still meant anything to the man that I had said them to.

"Bells, you ok?" Alice whispered as she rubbed my arm.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine."

That wasn't completely true, but it was good enough. "You ready to go?" I asked in the most chipper voice that I could muster. "You know Rose has no patience and hates waiting."

"That she does, Bella. That she does." Alice said as we both stepped out of the door.

**EPOV**

"Emmett, why in the hell would you bring me to a club?" I asked, already knowing what he was going to say.

"Because, Bro, because!"

I knew it.

The last place that I wanted to be tonight was at a damn club. Dawn Breaking was one of the newer spots in town, but I didn't want to be here. I wasn't in the mood. I was still waiting for the help that my brothers had promised and this sure as shit wasn't the help I was looking for.

Flower shop? Maybe. Candy store? Possibly.

"It'll be good for you, Edward," Jasper said, ever the voice of reason. "You'll spend the night out with us and take your mind off of the situation going on at home. We all win."

Sure we do.

I hadn't heard a word from Bella all day and I didn't know what to make of it. I thought about sending a text, just to see how she was or what frame of mind she was in, but I knew that would just be a sorry way around what we were currently dealing with. I needed to apologize and I needed to do it face to face. Besides, I missed her.

"What else did they say to you about Black?" Emmett asked.

Jacob Black.

Jacob Fucking Black. He had been the bane of my existence for the last 48 hours of my life.

At the airport the day before, Mike and Tyler had gone on and on about how they were such good friends with Jacob and that they were so grateful that he had given them a chance to play in a few of his clubs.

That was cool.

But then they started talking about how he had this _way_ with the ladies that was usually without fail. Okay, that's cool and all, too. But then they went into how my sister and my girlfriend were regulars in his establishments and how he was thinking about making Bella his.

"What?" I asked as I coughed on my Heineken.

"Yeah," Tyler said. "He went on and on about those pretty brown eyes and that body that just doesn't ever quit. He seems like he wants to get serious with her and that would be a first. Right, Mike?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, he's head over heels for that one. You better tighten up your game, Cullen." Mike said.

What. The. Fuck.

I listened to them drone on and on about the merits and prowess of Jacob Black and how Bella…_my _Bella had better be prepared for when he makes his move.

It took all of the strength inside of me to act like I was unaffected by their words, but I did and I made my way home after getting off of that airplane. I was going to get to the bottom of this if it killed me. Instead, I threw around accusations and conjecture instead of just talking to Bella and getting the verification that I needed from her. I was smarter than that and I thought more of her and our relationship than that.

But, as they say, hindsight is always 20/20.

Now, here I was, face to face with the newest and hottest Jacob Black establishment in town. I really just wanted the ground to swallow me up whole.

"Ugh," I said. I figured that was enough to express my disdain. "Black didn't say anything. The guys were just speaking on his intentions on making Bella his. Why are we here anyway?" I asked, aggravated by the whole situation.

"Come on, Dude, just one drink?" Emmett pleaded with the eyes of a sick or dying puppy.

"We could've had a drink at my house," I replied, not caring about his tender feelings at the moment.

"Yes, we could have and we did, but your house is boring as fuck. Come on," he said as we walked into the crowded club.

**BPOV**

The atmosphere at Dawn Breaking was electric and just…perfect.

There was a line wrapped around the block of people waiting to get in, just throwing the phrase _successful establishment_ into the atmosphere as they milled around and socialized.

We had gone to many a Jacob Black venue in our day, but I had never seen a place jump quite like this one in its early stages. The average person would call us club rats, but I preferred the term _experienced_.

As heavy as my heart and my spirit were at the moment, I heaved a sigh of relief. This was exactly what I needed; a night out with my girls and lots of quality liquor. Rose met us at the valet as we got out of the car and Alice handed over the keys.

She was already drawing the attention of many a hopeful male patron of the club. Her skintight red halter dress left nothing to the imagination while her platinum blonde curls were pinned up in an intricate and exotic up do that lent a bit of mystery to her look. Rosalie was gorgeous as usual.

"What took you guys so long? I feel like I've been out here for hours," she stated impatiently.

"Oh, pipe down, Ice Princess, you haven't been waiting that damn long," Alice huffed in response.

Alice was a vision in her own rite. Her metallic silver wrap dress hugged her small frame in all of the right places while her spiky black hairdo complimented her delicate features. The designer heels didn't look too shabby, either.

"Spoiled brat," Alice continued to mumble as she dug around in her purse for her lipstick. "Come on then, let's see what you've been out here missing."

I couldn't do anything but laugh as I watched their exchange.

Rather than wait in line with the regular club hoppers, we were able to slide right in thanks to Rosalie's dress and Alice's silver tongue. We never stood in line. Ever.

"So, where would you like to start? We can go up to the bar or head to the VIP and order there?" Rosalie said as she came to stand beside me and hooked her arm into mine.

I was still taking it all in.

The outside of Dawn Breaking didn't do it justice. There was a feel to this place, something unlike anything I had experienced in other places. Everything was a warm purple with black accents and the lights gave the entire place an eerily calming glow. The bass was knocking and people were dancing all around us.

This was the life.

"Let's start at the bar," I answered after a comfortable silence.

As always, Alice was two steps ahead of us, already having a conversation with the bartender and ordering three apple martinis and two shots each of Patron.

_God, how I loved that girl._

The music was fabulous. The DJ had a way of meshing songs that wouldn't normally go together, blending a mix of the Roots and Erykah Badu that flowed seamlessly into a club mix of the Muse.

I could tell that I would grow to love this place.

We hung out at the bar, taking our shots and babysitting our 'cute ones.'

We danced along to the beat of a few of our favorite songs before Rosalie decided it was time to head to the VIP area since, according to her, that's where we always belonged.

I laughed and looked toward the staircase that would lead to the area we were looking for before I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

I turned to find Alice staring upwards with her mouth hanging wide open.

I followed her path and locked eyes with a warm, very familiar pair. Green, the color of shamrocks, evergreen trees and moss, boring a hole straight into mine.

"Shit…"

**RPOV**

I love it when a plan comes together!

Diabolical? A little, but I never said I would play fair.

The fight that Bella and Edward were having was ridiculous and he knew it.

I had stood by and watched Edward over think so many things in his life and I wasn't about to stand by and watch that stubborn, pig headed ass mess up what he had with Bella.

They were so good together and I secretly loved to see him happy. Of course I knew that I could never tell him that, but straight laced, brooding Edward was not a fun Edward to be around.

When Edward was with Bella, he smiled like a loon. Emmett was so happy that he had found someone to bring out that side of him. When Bella showed up at our house that night, I knew it would take someone to intervene on their behalf.

I say 'their' behalf because if Edward was pig headed, then Bella was Stonehenge. You could not get through to either one of them once they had made their minds up about something.

Once Bella had fallen asleep on our couch after crying her eyes out on Emmett's shoulder, I called Alice and we cooked up this little plan of ours on the fly. She was a bit apprehensive about stepping in, but damn that, we had to do something before things spiraled out of control.

The very idea that Bella would betray Edward like that was absolutely absurd, but boys were stupid, plain and simple.

My plan was genius in its simplicity.

We would tag team, girls against guys. I would drag Bella's ass out of the house at the butt crack of dawn for some good breakfast and a relaxing day of pampering and thinking. Bella was notorious for taking something and flipping it around in her head, looking at every angle until she came to a conclusion. That was as close to a sure thing as you could get. Only we would be there with her to run interference.

The guys would get their asses up and go tend to Edward who was surely holed up in the condo, probably talking to the cat by now. They would tell him how stupid he was until he was tired of hearing it and would inevitably decide to do something about it.

They were a little slower at getting to Edward and Bella's than I would have liked, but I played my part well, leaving Bella none the wiser.

I'm not afraid to admit that I'm just as smart as I am beautiful. Hell, I've got the total package over here.

But this isn't about me.

So, here we were, in the belly of the beast and they had just realized that they had been set up. I had noticed that they hadn't spoken all day, which I hadn't planned for, but that's ok, they were here and that's what was important.

What's the old adage? You can lead a horse to water, but it's up to those dummies to take a frickin' drink.

**EPOV**

There she stood amongst all of the gyrating and groping people on the dance floor, standing out in a way that only she could.

The way her dress hugged at her curves was sinful and I knew that only my sister could convince her to wear something so completely made for her form. It was a strapless, hunter green number that made her skin look like porcelain. Her legs were exquisite and seemed to go on for miles even though she wasn't all that tall.

Those strappy silver heels were indeed a winner in my book.

With her dark chocolate curls touching her shoulders, she was breathtaking.

The flush on her cheeks told me that she had been set up exactly the same way that I had. She didn't expect to see me here anymore than I expected to see her.

The thought of that made me smile.

I turned toward my brothers who were ordering more drinks from the waitress serving the VIP area exclusively.

"Rosalie."

It was a statement rather than a question. My brother was as dumb as a box of rocks when it came to planning and execution.

He just shrugged. "What can I say? When she's right, she's right, and Rosie is usually right."

"No truer words have ever been spoken," Jasper said, holding his beer up in a toast.

"Hey Jas, do you remember that support group you were telling me about earlier?" I asked with a slight arch of my brow.

"Fuck you, Cullen," he said. "I've already gotten help for my little problem."

I chuckled as my sisters joined us in the VIP area and headed straight for their respective mates.

I almost felt like I was intruding on their reunion, but I loved seeing the people I cared about so happy. I turned and realized that it was just the two of them that had ascended the staircase.

I went back to the railing and looked out onto the dance floor, hoping to get another glimpse of my Bella, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Alright, so it's been an entire day of intervention. Do you have any idea of how you're going to fix that little situation?" Rosalie asked as she stood next to me, leaning against the railing, scanning the crowd as feverishly as I was.

I hung my head as I realized that Bella could have very well gone home, not even wanting to hear my tired excuses and apologies.

"I messed up so badly this time, Rose. What if I can't fix it?" I pleaded. I had reached the maximum level of desperation.

"Why don't you stop worrying and talk to her. That's the one thing that you haven't tried yet." She said as she stood up and walked back over to our family members.

She was right. I was just standing there like a sap while my world was running away without me; away from me.

I ran down the steps and weaved my way through the sea of bodies, not stopping once until I reached the doors.

**BPOV**

I couldn't breathe.

I had played various versions of this moment over and over in my head and not once did it look like this.

When his eyes locked onto mine, I felt like I had been caught with my hand in the cookie jar, like I was doing something that I shouldn't be doing, like I was in a place that I shouldn't have been in.

The thought of having a discussion about my fidelity and his lack of trust in me while in this setting made my insides churn. I had to get out of here.

I pushed and shoved my way through the millions of people that seemed to be out tonight until the cool crispness of the night air hit me in the face.

_The promised land._

I waved away the valet before he could ask me for my ticket and I just started walking with no particular destination in mind. I needed to gather my thoughts before I faced him.

I heard him before I saw him.

"Bella!" I heard being yelled as the doors of the club came bursting open. He was slightly out of breathe as he looked around for me.

He had much more faith in these heels than he did in me if he thought I had gotten further away than I did, I had barely made it to the corner.

His eyes met with mine once more and he sprinted toward me as I leaned up against the side of the building.

"Bella, baby, we need to talk," he said, catching up to me with a few strides of his long legs.

This man was a sight for sore eyes, even if I did run initially.

His black on black suit with no tie and the few buttons of his shirt left open made me weak in the knees.

But I couldn't give in that easily.

"Do we now? I can remember you not really trying to hear anything I had to say you before." I said, trying my very best to appear nonchalant about the entire ordeal.

"Bella, I am so, so sorry. I was an ass. I know you would never do that to me. I really truly do," he said, reaching for my hand that was closed into a tight fist at my side.

"How could you even think some of the things that you said to me last night? I need to know because if you think I'm that girl, then you need to tell me now." I was fighting back tears and I knew it, but I wouldn't let them fall before I had my say.

"Bella," he whispered softly as he moved closer, never letting go of my hand. He brushed his knuckles against my cheek and it felt like pure heaven.

"Love, I am so sorry that I ever doubted you," he said as he replaced his knuckles with a soft touch of his lips.

I closed my eyes to keep from turning my face. Just a slight turn would put me close enough to touch those warm lips of his.

"You hurt me," I said softly, still facing forward.

"I know. I know. I am so sorry," he said.

"You do realize that I meant what I said to you, that I've meant everything that I've ever said to you." I whispered back, turning just enough so that the length of his body was touching mine.

"Sweetheart, I know. I knew that last night, but…but I'm so afraid that you'll wise up and realize that you could do so much better than me. I need you so much…"

"Edward," I said, but he wouldn't be interrupted.

He pressed his finger to my lips and leaned in closer. "Let me finish, please," he said.

"I am so thankful that I have someone like you in my life and I let the thought of you being with somebody else consume me. I'm not used to needing anybody else, but Bella, I'm not afraid to admit to you that I need you like the air I breathe. Please say that you forgive me."

He stopped talking and all I heard was breathing, both his and mine, heavy and filled with want.

This was the Edward that I knew.

The sweet and kind and caring Edward that made me feel loved and protected.

He wanted and needed me just as much as I needed him.

In all honesty, I needed his reassurance just as much as he needed mine.

The life that we lived was difficult, but it was ours. I had my professional success and he had his. We were fulfilled and complete when we were together but, when we were apart, we were two separate halves to a whole and that was what we tended to forget.

He brushed my hair behind my ear and cupped my cheek so delicately and so full of tenderness.

When he lifted my chin and his lips met mine, I couldn't help but smile because we were finally where we were supposed to be. In this chaos and amongst all of these outsiders trying to interfere with this whirlwind that we found ourselves in, we were home.

I smiled against his lips as I pulled away slightly, still wrapping him tightly in my embrace, just as tightly as he had me wrapped in his.

"You know, when you're out there in the world, I'm still your girl," I said, looking up into those beautiful eyes of his, filled with the love and the joy that I remembered.

He gave me that lopsided grin of his and threw my words right back at me with no remorse in his tone. How I loved him so…

"Baby, don't worry. You know that you got me."


End file.
